The Challenger Disaster

The Challenger Disaster is a historical drama focusing on the aftermath of the 1986 explosion of the NASA space shuttle. After the accident killed seven crew members, including Christa McAuliffe, a high-level commission was formed to investigate the cause of the tragedy. Nobel Prize-winning physicist Richard Feynman joined the probe, facing internal resistance and secrecy within the agency. He worked to uncover the technical failure involving a rubber O-ring and the systemic issues that led to the disaster.

This television movie was directed by James Hawes, following his 2010 film Pulse and preceding One Life, The Amateur, and Lanterns. The screenplay was written by Kate Gartside and produced by Laurie Borg. The film stars William Hurt as Richard Feynman, with a supporting cast that includes Bruce Greenwood, Joanne Whalley, Brian Dennehy, Eve Best, and Kevin McNally.

Produced as a joint effort between the United Kingdom and the United States by companies including the BBC and Science Channel, the film has a runtime of 90 minutes. It has been generally well received by audiences, earning a rating of 7.2 on IMDb from 4,700 votes and a score of 7.3 on TMDB from 129 votes.